Predators

"Look at all the antlions you have," Tavares resident Mike Endres said, pointing at the sandy ground surrounding our bamboo gazebo. "You must know all about antlions. " Staring at the patch of pockmarked ground where he pointed, I said I knew absolutely nothing about antlions. Until Mike and his wife, Annette, visited our nursery, I had never even heard of them. "I'm afraid I don't know what antlions are," I admitted. "See all these conical pits in the sand?" Mike patiently explained.

The Orlando Predators were on a roller coaster this season - and not a fun-for-everyone type. This one had fast climbs to the top and steep drops. The season was full of exciting, sometimes scary moments and thrilling turns. The Preds finished 12-8 and accomplished things the franchise hadn't done in years on their way to the Arena Football League's American Conference title game. Along the way, they lost their starting QB, were ownerless for two months and played their home games in an unfamiliar place.

A LETTER by Bill Black of St. Cloud labels the sport of hunting as ''brutality.'' I can think of an even crueler treatment: starvation, which is a long, slow and painful death.Because man eliminated natural predators in many parts of the country, it is now his responsibility to ensure that the function of the predator is carried out. Without predators, animals such as deer overpopulate, ravage the environment and then die of starvation.Hunting is the only practical way to manage our natural resources without predators.

CLEVELAND - With five rookies on offense and a quarterback who missed half the season, the fact that the Orlando Predators arrived on the cusp of the ArenaBowl this week might have been considered a great year in itself. But they were looking for much more Sunday and returned home empty-handed with a 56-46 loss to the Cleveland Gladiators in the AFL American Conference championship game before an announced crowd of 14,543 in Quicken Loans Arena. Orlando (12-8) never led and was unable to overcome three turnovers, which helped Cleveland build and maintain a two-score advantage.

AS AN Orlando Predators' fan, I was heartbroken when we didn't win the ArenaBowl. I was also hurt to see the Sentinel call the largest crowd in Predators' history ''harmless''(Sept. 3). A crowd that has supported the team from the beginning, making ''The Jungle'' as Arizona coach Danny White says, ''one of the toughest places to play.'' The Sentinel's coverage of the Arena Football League in general has been mediocre at best. The fans, as ''harmless'' as your reporters may have thought, are the reason for the league's and Predators' success.

WHEN: 3 p.m. WHERE: TD Waterhouse Centre. RECORDS: Los Angeles 6-2, Orlando 6-2. BROADCAST: TV -- Fox Sports Net West. Radio -- 740 AM (WQTM). PREDATORS UPDATE: Orlando needs this win to at least maintain first place in the Southern Division. The Predators had the best record in the league last week at 6-1, but now they are tied with four other teams, including Los Angeles, for the top record. AVENGERS UPDATE: Los Angeles has a potent offense with quarterback Tony Graziani, offensive All-Arena performer Chris Jackson and former Predators and UCF star Siaha Burley.

Roger Clemens is no better than the people who are arrested on TV for being predators (Andrea Adelson, Roger Clemens' relationship with teen girl more appalling than use of steroids, April 30). I also disagree with the mind-set that this is a private matter. . . . This is a sickness of older men taking advantage of young girls who have not yet developed the mental and social awareness to understand that predators like Roger are manipulating them. . . . If he can't be true to his own wife and family, then why should he be true to the game of baseball . . . MIKE BLANCHARD Houston

Orlando Predators Coach Jay Gruden is tired of being stuck in limbo. The fate of the Predators and the entire Arena Football League's 2009 season remains in a state of flux. The league's board of directors, which includes the owners of every franchise and AFL patent owner Gridiron Enterprises, is scheduled to meet today and vote again on whether to play the 2009 season. It marks the second time the board will vote on the same issue during the past week amid persistent rumors the AFL will either suspend operations for 2009 or fold altogether.

How nice that the Orlando Predators' public relations director, Dan Pearson, wrote in to list for us the Predators' community service ventures, and all the charities that the team is involved in (May 21). You don't get it either, do you, Dan? All professional teams do charity work -- this is not the issue. The issue is this year's marketing concept. What was this season's slogan? Sleaze sells? Dan wants to write it off as this years "publicity stunt.'' I guess these ideas passed their not-so-demanding rules of what is tasteful.

Despite struggling the second half of the Arena Football League season, the Orlando Predators are back in the playoffs. The Predators (9-7) were off the final week of the regular season and needed either the Cleveland Gladiators, New Orleans VooDoo or New York Dragons to lose to clinch their 17th consecutive playoff appearance. On Saturday night, the Gladiators topped the Columbus Destroyers 47-35 and the VooDoo lost to the Grand Rapids Rampage, 86-70. The Dragons will host the Philadelphia Soul today.

Bernard Morris will look to join an exclusive club Sunday. Current members include Ben Bennett, Connell Maynor, Pat O'Hara and Joe Hamilton. The club does not have a name or a proper meeting place, but those men are linked by a shared experience. Each played quarterback for the Orlando Predators and led them to the ArenaBowl, the championship game of the Arena Football League. Morris will look to do the same when the Preds (12-7) face the host Cleveland Gladiators (18-1) at Quicken Loans Arena at 3 p.m. Sunday.

What : Arena Football League American Conference championship game When : 3 p.m. Where : Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland TV : CBS Sports Network Records : Preds 12-7, Gladiators 18-1 Season series : The teams did not meet during the regular season. The Buzz : If the Preds win, they would advance to ArenaBowl XXVII and play on the road against the two-time reigning champion Arizona Rattlers or the San Jose SaberCats. The Rattlers will host the SaberCats for the National Conference title at 8 Sunday night on ESPN2.

The Orlando Predators clinched a berth in the Arena Football League's American Conference championship game Sunday. On Monday, they found out what time the game will be. The AFL announced the Predators (12-7) will play the host Cleveland Gladiators (18-1) at 3 p.m. Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena. The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network. Orlando beat the visiting Pittsburgh Power 56-48 on Sunday at UCF's CFE Arena to advance. The Gladiators eliminated the Philadelphia Soul 39-37 on Saturday night.

The Orlando Predators moved one victory from clinching their first ArenaBowl appearance in eight years on Sunday. Former Jones High QB Bernard Morris accounted for eight touchdowns - four passing and four rushing - to help the Preds (12-7) to a 56-48 playoff victory against the Pittsburgh Power (15-4) at UCF's CFE Arena. The Preds will travel to face the top-seeded Cleveland Gladiators (18-1) for the American Conference title next weekend at Quicken Loans Arena. "There's a lot of people who are happy just to get into the playoffs," Predators coach Rob Keefe said.

Jay Gruden has come a long way since 2006. Eight years ago, he was synonymous with the Orlando Predators as the Arena Football League team's highly successful coach. Now he is in his first season as coach of the Washington Redskins. As for his former team, 2006 was the last time the Preds had won their division — until now. South Division champions again, they will host the Pittsburgh Power in their first postseason game at 2 p.m. Sunday at UCF's CFE Arena. "Things are always going to change, regardless of the fad or what's cool or what's 'in,"' Preds coach Rob Keefe said.

What : Arena Football League playoff game When : 2 p.m. Sunday Where : UCF's CFE Arena (12777 Gemini Blvd. North, Orlando) Records : Preds 11-7, Power 15-3 Admission : Tickets begin at $10 Season series : Power won 62-61 on May 24 in Orlando. The Buzz : The winner will play the winner of Saturday night's game between the Cleveland Gladiators and Philadelphia Soul next weekend for a berth in ArenaBowl XXVII on Aug. 23. . . . The Power enter the game on a 12-game winning streak.

Perry Moss stalked the sidelines in a hundred different leagues for a thousand different teams during a coaching career that seemingly spanned a million different seasons. As you might expect, this coaching institution wanted to call the final play of his life. He wanted the feeding tube that was keeping him alive to be removed. His son, Les Moss, a career coach in his own right, understood the call and executed the play just like his father taught him all those years ago. And as the dad lay on his death bed, his body ravaged by an incurable and debilitating neuromuscular disorder, the son held his dad's hand, cried and said, "The game's over now, Coach.

A man normally accustomed to being in the spotlight, David Siegel just wanted to enjoy the show instead of being a part of it. So it was Saturday night as the CEO of Westgate Resorts watched the Orlando Predators in their first home game since he was announced as the Arena Football League team's owner July 15. The Preds' 56-50 victory against the Arizona Rattlers on fan-appreciation night at the University of Central Florida's CFE Arena capped an...